Internal combustion emissions, particularly diesel, can produce large amounts of particulate matter (soot) that cause smog and poor air quality. Resent diesel engine design and emissions controls have lowered the particulate matter. The use of bio-fuel blends and split injection timing can further clean up the visual aspect of emissions. Now the concern is the ultrafine and nano size particulate matter that remains as pollution, causing respiratory problems from emissions.
Carbon nanotubes are recently discovered and are proving to be very useful in the computer chip and biomedical research field.
Recent studies of seed stimulation by carbon soot have demonstrated in a laboratory that seeds germinate and grow faster in the presence of carbon nanotubes.
The following references provide supporting evidence for many of the statements in the accompanying specification and are incorporated herein by reference:                1. Effects of Biodiesel Blending on particulate and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Emissions in Nano/Ultrafine/Fine/Coarse Ranges from Diesel Engine, Shu-Mei Chien, Yuh-Jeen Huang, Shunn-Chuang, His-Hsien Yang, Chien et al. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, Vol. 9, No 1, pp. 18-31. 2009        2. Microstructures and Nanostructures for Environmental Carbon Nanotubes and Nanoparticulate Soots L. E Murr, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2008. 5 (5) 321-336, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ISSN 1661-7827 www.ijerph.org 2008 by MDPI        3. Water soluble carbon nanotubes affect growth of the common gram (Cicer arietinum), Shweta Tripathi, Sumit Kumar Sonkar, Abbishek Kumar, M. Y. Khan, and Sabyasachi Sarkar, Nature Precedings; hdl; 10101/npre.2009.4056.1; posted 8 Dec. 2009        